This invention relates to a passenger seat, such as is used on public transportation such aircraft, trains and buses. The application discloses improvements in the operation of reclinable seats resulting from coordinated movements of the seat back, seat bottom, bolster and leg rest elements.
It is an object of the invention to provide a passenger seat which is comfortable.
It is another object of the invention to provide a passenger seat which is durable.
It is another object of the invention to provide a passenger seat which is easily and quickly repaired or replaced as needed.
It is another object of the invention to provide a passenger seat which is lightweight.
It is another object of the invention to provide a passenger seat which is extensible.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a reclinable passenger seat having a seat frame mounting a seat bottom, a seat back extending upwardly from the seat bottom, and a legrest assembly mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger. The legrest assembly comprises a legrest diaphragm mounted for pivotal movement in relation to the seat bottom and a legrest extension diaphragm telescoped within the legrest diaphragm for being selectively extended and retracted relative to the legrest diaphragm to provide an appropriate length leg support for the passenger. The first legrest diaphragm and the legrest extension diaphragm each include respective pairs of spaced-apart rails and a fabric attached under tension to the rails for forming a taut, resilient support for the legs of the passenger.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the fabric comprises a tube, and the rails are positioned within the tube to define a pair of overlaid fabric layers.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the fabric comprises a tube, and the rails are positioned within the tube to define a pair of overlaid fabric layers. The pair of fabric layers of at least the legrest diaphragm are both positioned in closely-spaced apart relation to each other adjacent a top edge of the rails.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a seat bottom extension assembly is provided for increasing or decreasing the effective length of the seat bottom between the seat back and the leg rest to fit the distance between the buttocks and the back of the knees of the occupant.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the seat bottom extension assembly comprises a frame for carrying the seat bottom relative to the seat back and for selectively moving the seat bottom relative to the seat back to increase or decrease the length of support provided to the legs of the passenger.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the seat bottom extension assembly includes an actuator assembly for moving the seat bottom relative to the seat back.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the rails of the legrest extension each include an inner rail positioned inside the fabric tube to define the depth of the legrest extension and an outer rail positioned on an outer surface of the fabric tube and aligned in a position against the inner rail, trapping two thicknesses of the fabric tube between the inner rail and outer rail to provide a taut, resilient, double layer fabric structure wherein two opposing layers of the fabric tube lie in closely spaced-apart relation to each other in the plane of an upper edge of the inner rail and the outer rail.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a passenger seat is provided having a seat frame mounting a seat bottom, a seat back extending upwardly from the seat bottom, and a legrest assembly mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger, the improvement comprising moving the seat bottom and legrest assembly relative to the seat back for increasing the effective length of support to the buttocks and legs of the passenger.